This is a very interesting thread and I appreciate and fully support the AVG and Mrs Rossi's positions. I just thought I add this excerpt from my grandfather's WWII dairies.

Sep 10th 1943
Got 2 letters from Dee today and that picks up the old morale. P-38’s and P-40’s were out today and raised more hell with the Japs at Canton and Hong Kong. Got 27 Zero’s, confirmed and probable altogether. Believe me those “flying tigers” are the real thing.

My grandfather was a logistics officer with 14thAF 1943-1944. He kept six dairies from 1942 (N. Africa), 1943 and 1944 but only mentioned the "Flying Tigers" once. I'm sure the 14th folks were proud of what they did and probably a little envious of the AVG reputation and name.

Many thanks to Lydia Rossi for posting this excellent 1999 interview with AVG President Dick Rossi (1st Sqdn pilot with the Adam & Eves). Many answers are contained in this interview.....especially on the subject of this thread.

Please check out the 34-35 minute zone of this interview for more details on the evolution of the 14th AF Assn. deciding to start calling themselves "Flying Tigers".
We'll say, yet again......."any questions?"

In my experience most are very well aware the 14th AF was not a volunteer program, well, most with a true interest in history like military collectors and enthusiasts. I think it would take an accurate blockbuster movie just to get the idea bouncing around in the heads of the masses, otherwise most kids these days and a lot of my generation 40+ didn't even know who bombed Pearl Harbor and have most likely forgotten by now. Looking back in this thread a bit it seems there may be some family of 14th AF members who's world would be turned upside down if they faced the reality of the situation. All of a sudden Grandpa wasn't a Flying Tiger?

People see a 14th AF tiger with wings, a 1st Lt. from Nellis AFB in Vegas wearing the 23rd FG shield spreading the word that they are the decedents of the Flying Tigers, I've got a binder from Flying Tigers Airlines. Have to say I truly understand caps and all what aaatrip is saying in another recent thread "It IS what it WAS" but the general public will never seek out these details and that's just another "Is what it is" for me. I think the best we can do is to keep on plugging for them and educate those willing to learn. Entertain their interests in the subject, and kindly pass along information like the interview link etc. To be brutally honest here, the replies to my posts concerning the Blood Chit inaccuracy seem to stray from the point I was trying to make, a little aggressive, and almost condescending.

Was just talking with a guy at my boys Karate class whose Grandpa was a "Flying Tiger" He's gonna show me a coffee can full of doodads and "the little Flying Tiger patch" some time this week. It will more than likely be a 14th AF grouping I'm sure. I will kindly explain a little and will send the Rossi link to him so he can find out for himself if he so desires. Can just tell that he's not really into it enough to learn in depth. He was just happy to have something in common with me and I'd like to leave it at that as opposed to bombarding him with the facts to set him straight. A good guy that I'd rather keep as a friend than be one up on as far as history goes.

Regarding use of the Flying Tigers name, it is approved and on file in the PTO (Patent and Trademark Office) that we control use of the Flying Tigers name....it is called the plain text name. BUT, we control it for only certain classifications. For example, there are the Lakeland Flying Tigers baseball team (farm team of the Detroit Tigers) and the LL Bean Flying Tigers jackets.....they own those rights. There is even a Flying Tigers brewery in Monroe, LA which, as of Friday, Nov. 25th, is now producing Flying Tigers beer. We are not in the business of brewing beer and are very happy to support Rob and the guys in Monroe who are honoring the legacy of the AVG Flying Tigers.....and they control those rights to produce Flying Tigers beer.

We do hold the registered trademarks on the insignias of the AVG and the 3 AVG squadrons and occasionally grant licenses to use these logos when asked.

To summarize, there is the historic context, the legal side and the business aspect of this topic. We welcome comments and inquiries from you!

It has been nearly a year and a half since the last discussion on this thread. It is such a vital feature of the current questions about the AVG Flying Tigers that I'm bringing this back to the top of the list so that new AVG Forum members can read the complete story...which should answer their many questions about "who is a Flying Tiger?"